Yardi client, Cigna, stepped up to an exciting challenge this year. Through innovation, creativity, and an understanding of client’s needs, the global company has brought healthcare into the mobile age. Cigna’s exciting apps and personalized services have made healthcare more accessible to clients on the go. The company started at the foundation, altering clients’ perception of healthcare. Through its mobile campaign, Cigna is no longer a name that we think of only when we were sick and injured. Rather, Cigna strives to become a name that we associate with health, wellbeing, and independence. Rebranding gained public attention through the Go You campaign last year, a series of ads and commercials that focused on individuals and what they can accomplish as healthy people. The ads don’t refer to illness or injury. Instead, the ads take a health-is-wealth approach that shows subjects full of personality, originality, and possibility. Viewers could begin to see the company as a way to fulfill their personal potential and reach their goals. But how? The ads were followed by the introduction of several user-friendly apps that make health an everyday commitment involving small daily decisions. The myCigna Mobile App was one of the first, offering traditional resources such as a physicians directory and account management tools. Users also gained access to claim updates, drug information and comparison charts, and price comparisons. While myCigna Mobile is customized for clients’ accounts, the GO YOU app is available to everyone with an Android or iOS device. Non-clients and clients alike can now peruse thousands of helpful and encouraging resources. These tools can be shared instantly with friends and family. Users can also create edifying video messages, photos and banners about health and wellness. For making healthy dietary decisions on the go, Cigna created Everyday...

With an interest in marketing, job title based in IT, a strong grasp of social media and a passion for real-life residents, Bill Szczytko has earned a following as someone who can be counted on to deliver prescient insight about apartment management. His network of contacts in the industry is nationwide, and he effectively uses Twitter to gain a grasp of what fellow multifamily professionals are talking about this very minute. He’ll appear at the upcoming Apartment Internet Marketing  conference next Monday and Tuesday in California, where he’ll  talk about avoiding landmines while doing business online. He shared a sneak peek into what those landmines look like in a recent interview. What are the most worrisome threats that multifamily firms might face from hacking? Szczytko: The most worrisome threat we face is our own complacency. Hackers want one thing. Information. This information can be social security numbers, credit card numbers, and bank account information. Some try to obtain this information for the fun of it but most use this information to make money. There are many ways they try to get it. Viruses, phishing schemes, brunt force attacks, and hacking weak user account information. Most threats can be avoided just by being smart about how you surf the internet and the kinds of passwords you create. What best practices are necessary for a  company seeking to protect itself in the online realm? Szczytko:  It’s essential that you have several things in place. First, is a password policy that walks a good line between passwords people can remember and security. Second, is a form of antivirus running on the company machines. The best antivirus is always you but it’s hard to get people up to the same level in regards to what is dangerous online...

Giant 3D printers, though still in the research stage, may be the perfect candidate to replace built-by-hand homes. USC Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis designed a robot able to build a 2,500-square-foot home in just 24 hours. The process, called Contour Crafting, is in fact scaling up 3D printing to the scale of the building. The big robot’s actions are dictated by a computer program: the construction site is cleared and leveled; the workers lay down two rails a few feet further apart than the building’s width and a computer-controlled contour crafter takes over from there. A gantry-type crane with a hanging nozzle squirts out concrete and with a components-placing arm travels along the rails. The nozzle lays layers of concrete creating hollow walls, and fills them in with additional concrete. People would only install doors and windows. The animation here gives a pretty good idea of how it would ultimately work. “It’s a CAD/CAM solution,” says Khoshnevis. The buildings are “designed on computer and built by a computer”. This method has proved to produce much stronger structures than traditional building methods. According to Contour Crafting, the tested wall is a 10,000PSI (pounds per square inch) strength compared to the average 3,000PSI of a regular wall. With the Contour Crafting solution the cost of home-owning could be slashed, making it possible for millions more humans – especially in developing countries –  to have houses. The first thing that comes to mind is the opportunity to build emergency and replacement housing in disaster relief areas, such as recovery from typhoons and hurricanes. It could also be used to build high-quality shelter for those living in desperate conditions: at the beginning of the 21st century, there are almost one billion people in need of stable housing around the world....

Microsoft needs to take bold steps to regain precious ground. To that end, its Build 2014 Developer’s Conference included news both expected and surprising. The expected announcements were related to the new Windows Phone 8.1 software and the much-anticipated update to the Windows 8.1 OS. The surprise was the new Windows 7-style Start menu for Windows 8, which will be launched as a free update. The main focus of the conference reflected Microsoft’s path of offering the ability to experience the same look and feel of applications across phones, tablets, and PCs, as well as the ability for the developers to easily build apps for all three platforms. “I am absorbing the Internet… now I’m learning about you.” The spotlight of the keynote was on Cortana for Windows Phone 8.1, the upcoming voice assistant that has the task of competing with Apple’s Siri and Google’s Google Now. Even though right now the new sassy digital assistant is a beta app, there are a few interesting things about her – she’s talkative, but knows what she’s talking about as she’s been given the ability to mine the Windows Phone content (with the user’s permission) and also search the web. “Because she’s powered by the Internet, you could say that she knows everything about the world,” Joe Belfiore said. “But because she runs on your Windows Phone, she also knows everything about you.” Cortana will have her own Live Tile, at the same time replacing the search function on the Windows Phone. She can take notes, send reminders, set alarms, and recognize the places you frequently visit. She also has a “Notebook” where she tracks certain user interests, including an “inner circle” of favorite users. The “Quiet hours” feature blocked notifications, with permission to reach you...

Achieving renter happiness might be tied to the same desires that have made fast food and Amazon Prime among the most popular innovations of our time. Are you offering your residents instant gratification? That was one of the technology trends discussed on a panel at the recent Crittenden Multifamily Conference in Dallas, Texas. Industry experts John Pendergast, senior vice president of client services at Yardi; Ray Thornton, senior vice president of information technology at MAA; and Tom Bumpass, managing director and chief information officer for Greystar Realty Partners, participated in the panel that focused on the past, present and future of multifamily technology. With advancements in the areas of cloud services, business intelligence, single stack solutions and mobility, there’s enhanced opportunity not only to improve resident’s experiences, but to foster a more collaborative working environment at the home office. With the move of most management platforms to a cloud-based environment, creating a true partnership between the IT department and the business and marketing specialists within your firm is an enhanced focus that can produce enhanced efficiency, processes and results. “It’s not enough for the IT group to be a support for the operations and marketing teams. In order for businesses to be successful today, there has to be a partnership between the technology group, business/operations group, and marketing group. That means all the groups are working together throughout the process of meeting your business needs. They’re a collective team,” said Pendergast (pictured, left). Delivering a successful business intelligence solution is one area in which such collaboration is especially important. When Greystar Realty Partners developed their internal BI solution, the business and IT sides of the firm worked hand-in-hand. Now, adding additional data points into the system is a much faster, less complicated process. “They’re...

For most of us, the smartphone has become the latest version of “don’t leave home without it” – remember that old American Express slogan from back in 1985? Most of us can’t make it more than a few minutes without access to our personal communication devices, which double as mini-computers and someday very soon will probably supplant our credit cards as a financial transaction point of contact. Most of us have adapted to the positive implications of the mobile technology we are carrying in our pockets. But we are less aware of the capable sensor suite, and associated risk, that is probably within your visible – or at least audible – range at this very second. Scientists and researchers have examined phones from all the angles, trying to help us prepare for any threats to the security of our personal information and data contained therein. One facet of the study on mobile phones involves the accelerometer’s power to detect vibrations. According to a research conducted by the computer scientists at Georgia Tech, placing a phone on a desk can detect the vibrations from keys pressed on a nearby keyboard and even pick out words with an accuracy of up to 80 percent. Although this type of attack might be more difficult than other methods of keylogging it can be a highly effective espionage story. “The best-case scenario, if you are an attacker, is if you are going after a very specific person”, says assistant professor at Georgia Tech, Patrick Traynor. “I think it is realistic in that case.” Accelerometers track movement in three dimensions: side-to-side, forward-and-backward and up-and-down. Analyzing the data they collect can give a good idea of the number code or pattern used to protect a smartphone. Adam J. Aviv, Katherine Gibson,...

It sounds unbelievable, but it all started only 25 years ago this week. On a March day in 1989, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, established the first connection of his brainchild called the World Wide Web – a system for publishing information over the internet.  It was an idea that would change the world and life as we know it. Berners-Lee worked at CERN – the European Organization for Nuclear Research near Geneva, Switzerland – and his intention was to help itinerant academics from all over the world run a complicated particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider. These scientists were eager to share information – data and test results – but had plenty of roadblocks. Berners-Lee’s proposal specified a set of technologies that would help overcome that; however, his initial proposal was not immediately accepted. Perseverance is what made Tim successful: by October 1990 he had particularized three essential technologies that remain today the foundation of the Web, visible on any Web browser: HTML: HyperText Markup Language is the publishing format for the Web that includes the function of formatting documents and link to other documents and resources. URI: Uniform Resource Identifier is a sort of “address”, unique to each resource on the Web. HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol allows for the retrieval of linked sources from across the Web. By the end of 1990, the first Web page was served. By 1991, people outside of CERN were able to join the community. Perhaps the most important thing in the history of technology is set on April 1993 when CERN announced that the World Wide Web technology would be available for anyone to use, for free. Today the World Wide Web is the most powerful communication medium we know. Whether we teach and...

Yardi will present an educational session on technology trends and business intelligence, “Getting the Big Data on Tech Trends,” at the Crittenden Multifamily Conference on March 16-18 in Dallas. With a focus on how evolving technology and innovation are helping companies of all sizes leverage their data to operate more effectively, the session will be led by industry experts John Pendergast, senior vice president of client services at Yardi; Ray Thornton, senior vice president of information technology at MAA; and Tom Bumpass, managing director and chief information officer for Greystar Realty Partners. Discussing new browser-based solutions and the future of cloud services, along with mobile tech trends for the “need it now” generation, the session leaders will guide attendees to a greater understanding of how business intelligence is quickly becoming a standard requirement for companies both large and small. “Yardi is committed to leading the industry with technology advancements that help our clients achieve 360-degree business intelligence and unprecedented mobility,” said Pendergast. “The tech trends session is designed to empower attendees with the information they need to build strong relationships with the new generation of residents and employees, while learning how to leverage their ‘big data’ to operate more efficiently and profitably.” Follow Yardi on Twitter (#MultiCon14) to keep current on conference events and to connect with sponsors, attendees and other speakers. About Crittenden Multifamily Conference Designed for multifamily professionals, the Crittenden Multifamily Conference is a 2 1/2-day event that includes educational sessions and several networking opportunities. Educational sessions cover a variety of multifamily management, finance, development and investment topics. Each session is facilitated by the industry’s leading executives. For more information, visit...

Once again, Barcelona hosted the GSMA Mobile World Congress, a global showcase where some of the industry’s biggest names displayed their latest toys. This year’s event featured over 1,800 exhibiting companies, more than 85,000 visitors from 201 countries, a new record, reflecting again how pervasive mobile has become. The four-day conference and exhibition became the meeting spot for executives from mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies, and automotive, finance, and healthcare industries, topped by government delegations from all over the world. More than 4,500 CEOs, including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and IMB’s Virginia Rometty held keynotes, followed by CEOs and senior executives from companies like Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, Bitcoin Foundation, Cisco, Citigroup, Connecthings, EMC Corporation, Etisalat Group, Ford Motor Company, Isis, Jasper Wireless, Kakao Corp., KDDI, Lookout, Millicom, NTT DOCOMO, Raspberry Pi Foundation, Shazam Entertainment, Shhmooze, SingTel, SK Planet, Tele2 Group, Viacom International Media Networks and WhatsApp. The Connected City attracted over 17,000 visitors over the four days, and presented mobile solutions for services like education, health, retail, transport, smart cities and more. The Internet of Things describes the phenomenon of network-connected sensors incorporated into devices that in the past were standalone appliances. An even broader term, ‘The Internet of Everything’, includes smartphones and other mobile computing devices, as well as Internet-connected appliances. Remember Google’s move earlier this year, the $3 billion acquisition of Nest’s smart thermostat and smoke alarm technology. A wide variety of vendors showed or announced services and products that fit the concept. The automakers announced connectivity technology this week, to meet consumers’ expectation of having the same connected experience with their cars as they have with their mobile phones. Deutsche Telekom announced a deal with PayPal through which it will enable the possibility for the mobile users to purchase...

Apple’s highly-anticipated sapphire glass will not only offer super-protection to our favorite electronic devices, but will also improve battery life by the addition of solar-powered charging cells. Sapphire is one of the three gem-varieties of corundum, the other two being ruby – corundum in a shade of red – and padparadscha – a pinkish-orange. Although blue is the most common color, corundum can also be colorless or pink, green, and shades of gray and black. It can be mined or artificially produced. Sapphire is more than a beautiful and extremely expensive gem. Because of its remarkable hardness – 9 on the Mohs scale, right after the diamond which scores the maximum 10 – sapphires are used in non-ornamental tasks such as infrared optical components (red ruby sapphires are utilized to create new-infrared lasers due to their capacity to be turned to the appropriate wavelengths, because of the titanium and chromium impurities that form them), high durability windows for high pressure diagnostic and scientific equipment, including bullet proof glass, wristwatch crystals and movement bearings, and scratch-resistant coverings for lenses and high-end watch faces (Rolex, Citizen, etc.) It is important to note that Corning Gorilla Glass scores ~7 on the Mohs scale. Very high-end smartphones are already using sapphire crystal screens. The handmade Vertu Ti has a 3.7-inch crystal-covered screen, but thus far the technology has been too expensive for mass produced smartphone screens. Apple started using it to protect the cameras on the iPhone and, more recently, on the home button for the 5S model. But things are not about to stop here. In a post on the Seeking Alpha investor blog, Matt Margolis concludes that the $578m deal Apple struck with GT Advanced Technologies has more than just the sapphire glass growth initiative behind...

If your property was developed before 2000, it wasn’t built with cellphone and Wi-Fi reception in mind. The location, building materials, and sometimes the building’s design can hinder signals. Today’s renters won’t tolerate glacial-speed connectivity and inconsistent service. Beacons could help improve resident satisfaction, retention, and give you new ways to communicate with tenants. Beacons are the latest technology for any property that wants to improve cellphone reception and Wi-Fi availability. The small devices can be plugged into a wall or set on any surface. Their low-energy usage and low-cost makes them easy to add to any unit. Beacons use Bluetooth connection to send signals to devices such as smartphones and tablets, so there are no wires or tedious setup required. Basically, beacons can be used to amplify your wireless services.  Offering them with your units could be a huge selling point for renters, particularly Millennial. There is a growing trend of Americans and Canadians who are ditching cable in exchange for Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming video services; some switch to save hundreds of dollars on their bills each year. Residents won’t be pleased if they feel coerced into a cable contract because they can’t stream shows at home. Tenants of all ages will appreciate faster speeds and more consistent service. It’s vital to their life’s work, in many cases. An increasing number of professionals work from home at least one day a week or more. Even those who aren’t remote employees are expected to have always-on connectivity, staying on top of their game by working evenings and weekends. If the internet is down or slow, their work will suffer and they’re likely to look elsewhere when it’s time to renew the lease. Owners may also toy with the idea of using beacons...

Commercial Property Executive is looking for nominations for its second annual Tops in Technology Awards. The ballot will recognize the leading technology product and service providers assisting the commercial real estate industry, with winners in a variety of categories. The number of categories will depend on the nomination process, though, so be sure to enter your favorite technology providers for consideration! The deadline for nominations is Feb. 19. Then be sure to return to vote on the ballot! As Published Dan Waldman wrote in the announcement of the inaugural awards: “These companies stand out for their ability to provide flexible customization, competitive pricing and the most innovative solutions, all backed by superior customer support. In this fast-paced, competitive business, your technology choices are critical to efficient operations, ensuring satisfied tenants, successful projects and completed transactions. Whether it be marketing your properties with an attractive and informational Web site, streamlining a lease signing or creating convenience by automating billing and payment systems, technology continues to make life easier and less costly for everyone involved. As technologies for our industry proliferate and evolve to meet our constantly changing needs, the playing field continues to attract more contestants. The companies here are the ones that have been rated highest by our readers, so please keep this list as your reference.” Find the 2013 Tops in Technology winners on page 21 of the April 2013 edition of...

We’ve started getting a closer look at what everyone calls the “Connected Home”. The most popular connected home device is currently the security system, according to Forrester. There are also electronic door locks – electronic keys with expiration date (that can be used with maintenance technicians) that send an alert when someone is attempting to enter – garage door openers, weather stations for vacation homes, and cameras like Dropcam for baby or pet monitoring. We already have the fridge that sends text messages when the milk is running low and we have the smart egg tray that tells your smartphone how many eggs you’ve got at home and when they’re going bad. We also have the Hue lightbulbs made by Philips that are controllable through the iPhone – set custom lighting, turn light on or off remotely and set lights to slowly brighten in the morning. Through a smartphone the Withings scale and the Bose music system are perfectly controllable as well. At the recent CES show in Las Vegas, companies displayed their latest smart appliances, and looked around for suitable collaborators. These partners will together create a real George and Jane Jetson home. Google aimed high and acquired Nest Labs for $3.2 billion. With this move the giant ensured a premium position in the yet young ecosystem which, in a not too far future, will become a core industry that will affect all aspects of life. Nest Labs is a popular name only in select groups and markets – in the U.S., Canada and the UK – where their products are merchandized. In 2011 they released the internet-connected thermostat that learns to cool or heat homes in accordance with its inhabitants. Two years later they came up with the smoke and carbon-monoxide detector...

There’s no doubt that 2014 is going to be another big year of exciting enhancements in technology. Improved software, systems and products really came on the scene in 2013, and more improvements are sure to make our working and non-working hours more efficient, secure and fun in the months ahead. Last year we talked a lot about business intelligence, moving to the right type of cloud for your company, and ensuring adequate security for your valuable business data. These will continue to be important considerations in 2014. To find out what smart companies are thinking about for the year ahead, we checked in with Scott Wiener, Yardi Senior Vice President and head of our Clouds Services division. He’s a longtime technology veteran with his finger on the pulse of the latest enhancements and innovations. Scott helped us come up with these four key questions that any smart company – not just Yardi clients and real estate-related businesses – should be asking in the year ahead. 1.       If I haven’t moved to the cloud, what am I concerned about? The options for cloud users are nearly endless, with service providers offering a wide range of options for network configuration, security, replication and access protocols. But some firms have resisted going cloud-based, despite myriad benefits. Partner with a company who has the experience and history of delivering the service; don’t trust the source ask what their safeguards are; how personally identifiable information (PII) is handled are just a couple of items you should be thinking of.   You’re holding out, it might be time to get on the phone with your technology service provider and ask the hard questions. Fears about access limitations and being able to directly connect to your database aren’t good reasons to pass...

Now in its sixth year of existence, bitcoin is rising in popularity, value, and accessibility. The question remains, however, if the digital currency can realistically open new doors for international commerce. Bitcoin is a digital currency that hit the marketplace back in 2008.  Like other currencies, its algorithm-based exchange rate fluctuates daily. The currency is not backed by a central bank or government; as such, it cannot be stored in a bank. Tightly encrypted online accounts facilitate transactions. The currency has earned a mixed reputation. Some hail bitcoin as the next step in digital exchange, the future of global commerce.  Bitcoin transactions result in fewer fees and capital controls, thus promoting more fluid trade. Others view bitcoin as the currency of thieves, vagabonds and unsavory black market merchants. Some governments won’t even humor bitcoin exchanges with their presence; the Chinese government forced the nation’s largest bitcoin exchange to stop accepting yuan deposits late last year. China’s actions somewhat crush the notion that bitcoin could survive as an independent currency. If other governments follow China’s example, their currencies could no longer be used to fuel bitcoin exchanges. Ultimately, bitcoin would be reduced to figures on a screen with no real world value, the equivalent of gaining or losing points on Candy Crush. But so far that hasn’t happened. While the value of bitcoin slumped miserably after China’s rejection, the currency is rebuilding strength in other markets. In fact, it may be used in American real estate transactions. Bond New York, a Manhattan-based real estate broker, is now accepting bitcoin as payment for real estate. In December, The Wall Street Journal reported that two sellers—one for an $800,000 ranch in the Hamptons and the other for a $7.85 million mansion in Las Vegas—are willing to accept...

In a recent survey of cloud adoption trends within the investment management industry, respondents reported that despite concerns over security and adaptability, use of cloud services is widespread for investment firms, who are handling both basic business functions and financial applications hosting using cloud services. Moving to the cloud, rather than continued on-site hosting of applications and business data, is the common practice for businesses of all kinds that want to advance their information technology infrastructure and enjoy extreme flexibility, scalability and security. Investment management firms are no different, and may enjoy advantages within a cloud system when it comes to big data and business intelligence, redundancy of data, and application integration. Despite some questions about how receptive investors and clients would be to the use of cloud computing and worries about lack of custom application availability, moving to cloud hosting was the choice for nearly 90% of the investment management firms responding to the survey, which was conducted by an integration services provider. One predictive analysis forecast is that the cloud computing market will grow from $40.7 billion in 2011 to $241 billion in 2020, over several dozen distinct market segments. Other forecasts put that number significantly higher. Cloud services growth is expected to contribute to 14 million new jobs, worldwide, by 2015. Recently initiatives by Microsoft, GoDaddy, expansion by industry pioneers like Amazon, and an influx of venture capitalist funding have fast-tracked the private cloud market for major growth. This long-awaited innovation in computing has arrived as a cost and efficiency saver for companies of all sizes. Financial and investment management firms, including banks, sovereign wealth organizations, and government institutions are among those moving forward with use of private clouds. To alleviate concerns about security, most use a private cloud solution, though...

Era of Personal Computing, PC-plus Era or even Post-PC Era – Where are we? What stage in the evolution of technology have we entered, which have we exited? What marked the transition? In 2006 HP launched a new campaign called The Computer is Personal Again, putting more emphasis on empowering users and enterprises and paying little attention to the technical matters. That was a moment when many remembered the great distance computing had traveled from room-sized devices that were anything but personal, to the small devices we carry today that satisfy such personalized needs. Every year, technology developers do their best to present to consumers either new devices or improved versions of the previous models. In the past few years, critics have been more vocal than ever,  alleging lack of innovation. Are they right. or does everybody need to calm down and take a deep breath? If we are to reflect upon the history of technology we see a clear pattern: at first, devices are used by businesses. Only after reaching a stable foundation are they produced for the masses; then the product needs to mature before the mass market adopts it. Some say that innovation comes in cycles of fifty years, equally divided between the enterprise environment and the general public’s adoption life cycle. Ideas will never cease to surface. But in order to have a new idea succeed, the timing must be right. A new idea typically comes only after the previous one is perfected. Each innovation is built on the knowledge a previous one brought. People have to be mentally prepared to embrace the new. With the expansion of the hardware, the software sees considerable growth. Software is growing in value and perhaps the best example would be the gigantic move...

Colleen Gray admits that when a frigid ice storm struck her hometown of Toronto, Ontario a few days before Christmas, she wasn’t prepared. “I had no flashlight, candles, tasty emergency food,” said the Business Applications Leader for Real Estate Management Services, a Yardi client. Her apartment lost power on Dec. 21 around 10 p.m. Nor did she realize that power was going to be out for more than three full days. The storm knocked out electricity and other services to 300,000 Toronto residents, and a few hundred were still without power as of this writing on Dec. 30. Anxious to have the most up-to-date information on weather conditions, expectations for the next few days how friends, family and colleagues were doing, Colleen was glued to her iPhone, which she hadn’t charged the night the power went out. “I was trying to get information from web sites, while at the same time rationing data access as I knew it drained the battery pretty fast,” she told us in an email. But Sunday morning, she was already below 50 percent of her battery and had no idea how much longer it would be out – service wasn’t restored until 6 p.m. on Dec. 24. Then she remembered – a tiny, battery powered iPhone charger was included in a gift for clients delivered at Yardi’s recent Canadian client appreciation dinner. “Brilliant!  This gave me enough juice to get through the day and evening. The next day I went to the office and was able to charge up both my iPhone and Portable charger to get me through another night.   It was a tremendous comfort knowing that I wasn’t going to run out of power when the only thing connecting me to information and friends and family was...

Qualcomm introduced its Toq Smartwatch to the marketplace on Dec. 2. The wearable computing device is available in limited edition to US customers, directly from Qualcomm’s website. Toq is considered an experiment and should be regarded as such. It doesn’t want to (nor can it) replace flashy smartphones, but comes to play as a peripheral device meant to work as an extension of the smartphone (Android-only, for now). It covers the standard commands for a smartwatch such as alerts, SMS replies with canned responses, Bluetooth headset compatibility, and a few bite-sized apps like Accuweather and Etrade. Third-party developers will be allowed by Qualcomm to build applets for the little gizmo; they will be able to use AllJoyn, another Qualcomm technology designed to let phones and watches communicate directly with each other. With a 3.2oz weight, a wrist band that ranges is size from 6 to 8.7 inches, and a display size of 1.55in, Toq throws in the Mirasol display technology, a combination of a full color screen with low power consumption (IMOD – Interferometric Modulation). 222ppi and a button-less display that has touch screen capacities, the device goes through multiple days between charges (3 to 5) and when the time comes to refill the battery (placed in the clasp of the watch band), it uses the Qualcomm® Charging Technology WiPower™ LE – Magnetic Resonance Charging – the device starts charging as soon as you drop it on the wireless charging dock. To aid battery life, the smartwatch is powered not by a high-end Snapdragon chip, but a 200MHz Cortex M3 processor. Mirasol, a direct competitor of e-ink, is based on MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), to produce the IMOD effect. This effect creates colors in a different way than LCDS or OLEDS – an air pocket between...

According to NotebookReview.com, Windows 8 is receiving a higher approval rating than Apple and Android operating systems. Based upon consumer feedback, of roughly 10,500 comparisons between the iOS 7 and Windows 8, 63 percent favored Windows. Of nearly 7,300 comparisons to the Android OS, almost all favored Windows 8. If you haven’t caught up on what’s new, now is the time. Windows 8 has made the upgrades that one would expect: 4th generation Intel® Core™ and Intel® Atom™ processors that deliver speed without bulk; the operating system is compatible with the new 8” tablet which offers mobile computing at its best; and the system syncs across several devices making it easier for professionals to stay organized on the go. And there are plenty of nice touches, such as a revamped touch keyboard and  various tile sizes to help us visual learners. Users can now control some apps, such as media players and Skype, from the lock screen. The pro system comes with its own benefits. It caters to multitaskers, providing improved multi-monitor support and easy access tools. There are also additional upgrades that are worth their weight in gold. Security Most of us remember when Windows became synonymous with viruses. The company aims to change that, boldly stating that “Windows 8 is 21 times more secure than Windows XP and 6 times more secure than Windows 7.” For starters, Windows 8 Pro now has Trusted Boot, which initiates anti-malware software at startup before any third-party drivers or apps. Even when employees click an unsavory banner, it will be more difficult for malware to take hold of your system. Windows 8 Pro has also jumped on the fingerprint credentials express train, helping to keep your sensitive information secure from guests and unauthorized users. Pro helps...

Perhaps more than anyone, business travelers understand the importance of rapidly charging a mobile device. Business professionals are expected to be connected, accessible, and up-to-date. A dead smartphone or tablet simply doesn’t lend itself to the lifestyle. A few new developments will help business travelers fulfill their commitments at home, abroad, and everywhere in between. Several international companies have developed ultra-fast capacitors for batteries. Eesha Kare, an 18 year old student from California, has become the poster child for the success of such technology. She created a device that could charge a smartphone in less than 30 seconds. The device also allows the battery to store energy for 10,000 cycles rather than the standard 1,000 cycles seen on most batteries. Kare won The Young Scientist award for the invention this summer, though similar devices have been around for at least a year. Strangely, no industry leaders have pushed the capacitors to the public just yet. Qi (pronounced “chee”) wireless is today’s standard for rapid charging. Users place their device on top of a power transmission pad, which then uses electromagnetic induction to charge the device.  The technology has been around since 2008 but it has been slow to catch on mainly because of costs. Qi Hotspots have popped up in places such as the Tulsa International Airport but more are in the works at transportation hubs and coffee shops around the globe. Further refinement has made Qi technology more affordable. By mid-2014, Samsung aims to present a consumer-friendly wireless charger, allowing users to charge their phones from a distance while using it. You won’t be constrained to the airport charging kiosk, hovering over half a dozen other users while attempting to process sensitive information. Even at home, you will be able to charge a...